Receivers, such as digital televisions complying with the ATSC digital television standard, receive signals from a variety of sources. For example, receivers receive signals from terrestrially based antennae, from satellite dishes, from cables, etc.
Receivers such as televisions are also used in environments in which they receive signals over other types of networks. For example, networks are frequently used in buildings such as hotels and motels to distribute at least some signals from a source, such as a server, to receivers that are distributed through the building (or buildings).
An example of such a network 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The network 10 includes a television 12, such as a digital television complying with the ATSC digital television standard, that is coupled to an RF distribution network 14 by a standard interface module 16. The standard interface module 16 may be used to initially set-up or configure the receiver 12. A video server 18 is also coupled to the RF distribution network 14 so that RF signals from the video server 18 can be communicated in a standard format capable of being directly received and processed by the receiver 12.
The receiver 12 has a chassis 20 supporting a port 22 that may be used to couple the standard interface module 16 to the television 12 and/or to other devices. The port 22, for example, includes an RF connection 24, a power connection 26, and a control connection 28. The RF connection 24 is used to couple RF signals from the standard interface module 16 to the television 12, the power connection 26 is used to provide power to the standard interface module 16, and the control connection 28 is used to exchange control information between the television 12 and the standard interface module 16. The RF connection 24, the power connection 26, and the control connection 28 of the port 22 may be part of an interface module 30 of the television 12.
The control pass through line of the standard interface module 16 may be used for cloning as well as volume and channel control as is known in the art.
The receiver 12 further includes a tuner/demodulator 32, a decrypter 34, and an MPEG decoder 36 that receive the RF signal over the RF connection 24 and that suitably processes the RF signal to provide a video output 38 for display on a screen such as a CRT or LCD. Accordingly, the tuner/demodulator 32 tunes to a selected RF channel and demodulates the RF signal on the selected RF channel, the decrypter 34 decrypts the demodulated signal, and the MPEG decoder 36 decodes the MPEG packets contained in the decrypted signal and otherwise processes the decoded information for display on the video output 38. Although not shown, audio is alternatively or additionally likewise processed and provided to speakers of the receiver 12.
The video server 18 includes a storage medium 40 that stores MPEG files for supply to the television 12. These MPEG files can be encrypted files. When the MPEG files are supplied to the television 12, these files are suitably modulated by a modulator 42, they are up converted to a selected channel by an up converter 44, and they are supplied as RF signals through the RF distribution network 14 to the rooms or areas of the building such as the room or area containing the television 12. If the receiver 12 is a digital television that complies with the ATSC digital television standard, the modulator 42 may be a VSB modulator.
In this room or area, these RF signals are coupled to the television 12 through the standard interface module 16. As shown in FIG. 1, the RF signals are passed through the standard interface module 16 to the RF connection 24 of the television 12. Power is provided to the standard interface module 16 from the television 12, and any control signals supplied from the video server 18 to the television 12 or from the television 12 to the video server 18 are passed through the standard interface module 16.
Video servers for applications such as that shown in FIG. 1 have been developed to distribute MPEG files using the Internet Protocol. Accordingly, the MPEG files are formatted for distribution using the Internet Protocol.
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which messages are formatted so that they can be sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. When a message is received or sent, the message gets divided into packets. Each packet contains both the sender's Internet address and the receiver's Internet address. A packet is sent first to a gateway computer that reads the destination address and forwards the packet to an adjacent gateway that in turn reads the destination address and so forth across the Internet until one gateway recognizes the packet as belonging to a computer within its immediate neighborhood or domain. That gateway then forwards the packet directly to the computer whose address is specified. Because a message is divided into a number of packets, each packet can be sent by a different route across the Internet. It is possible for packets to arrive in a different order from that in which they were sent. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) puts the packets back in the right order.
When the Internet Protocol is used to format signals for distribution, a module in the receiver can be used to suitably reformat the signals so that the signals can be properly processed by the receivers. However, incorporating such a module in receivers requires either that all receivers include the module or that just those receivers to be used in Internet Protocol based networks include the module.
If all receivers are equipped with an Internet Protocol reformatting module, inventory management is less complicated. However, the cost of every receiver is increased by the cost of the additional module. On the other hand, if only those receivers to be used in connection with Internet Protocol based networks are equipped with the Internet Protocol reformatting module, no additional cost is added to those receivers that are not targeted for this application. However, inventory management requires control of two types of receiver making inventory management more complicated.
What is needed is a module that provides Internet Protocol conversion. However, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the standard interface module does not have the capability of reformatting signals distributed using the Internet Protocol so that the content of such signals can be properly received by a receiver. The present invention is directed to a module that provides Internet Protocol conversion.